Tally-box.



C. BRADFORD.

TALLY BOX.

APPLICATION FILED 11011.26, 1907.

Patented Oct. 10, 1911.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHESTER BRADFORD, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA. i

TALLY-BOX.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHESTER BRADFORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tally-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

In that class of devices which are adapted to automatically weigh and discharge certain predetermined quantities of material a tallying or registering device is desirable in order that an account may be kept of the total quantity of material which passes through the machine. A very desirable form of such registering or tallying device is that wherein a plurality of similar Wheels are mounted side by side on a shaft, each of which bears upon its peripheral surface a series of members from l to O inclusive.

Such a tally or register as heretofore constructed is adapted to advance a unit with every movement; and when the material-receptacle is of a capacity equal to the unit of weight or measurement such tallies or registering devices have been satisfactory. In many cases however the receptacle is of a size to contain only a fractional portion of the quantity of material which is the unit of weight or measurement; and in such a case the tally or registering device, instead of registering units, has registered fractions of units. This is, of course, objectionable; and it is the purpose of my present invention to embody, in such a tally or registering device, in combination with a fractionalunit receptacle, such features or elements of construction as will cause the unit wheel to advance only when the number of fractions corresponding to the fractional character of the receptacle have been counted.

I have illustrated my present invention in connection with a grain elevator and weigher for vthreshing machines; and will describe the same as applied to such machines.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof, and on which similar reference characters indicate similar parts, Figure l is a side elevation of the upper portion of such a grain elevator and weigher having a tally box of the character in question attached thereto; Fig. 2 a front elevation of such a tally box separately; Fig. 3 a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the shell or casing thereof in section, thus displaying the interior mechanism; Fig. 4 a transverse sectional view, as seen when look- Speciiication of Letters Patent. Patnted 091;, 10, 1911 Application filed November 26, 1907.

Serial No. 403,955.

ing in the direction indicated by the arrows from dotted line 4 4 in Figs. 2 and 3, illustrating the mechanism when in its usual atrest position; F ig. 5 a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the mechanism in a dierent position; Fig. 6 a view similar to Fig. 4 as seen when looking in the directions indicated by the arrows from the dotted line 6 6 in Figs. 2 and 3, and F ig. 7 a perspective view of the pawl which operates the numbering wheels.

The elevator shown embodies the two elevator legs 2l and 22 and head 23, the latter' being equipped with a snout gate 24.

A weigher bucket 31 is suspended on suitable weighing and tripping mechanism connected to the elevator head, said tripping mechanism being operated from a trip shaft 32. From the crank 32 of this same trip shaft 32 a link 33 runs back and engages with the operating member of the tally box mechanism.

The tally box embodies a suitable casing 41 having a door 42. Said door has a glass or other transparent front 43 through which the figures on the number wheels 44 may be seen, and is shown as hinged at 41 and as provided with a catch 42.. Three of these number wheels are shown, but any other suitable number may be employed. The limit of numbering with three wheels is of course 999 units, which is usually sufiicient for the purposes of such a machine as I have applied this invention to. These number wheels are mounted on shaft 45 and revolve loosely thereon. They are operated by the pawl 46 which is pivotally mounted on swinging yoke 47 by means of a pivot shaft 48-said swinging yoke being itself mounted on the shaft 45. The pawl is held toward the numbering wheels by a suitable spring, as 49. It embodies a multiplicity of fingers, one of which engages with a circular ratchet or notched rim on end of the several wheels.

AThe ends of these fingers are of differing length, as best shown in Fig. 7, in order that they may engage suitably with the corresponding ratchets at several wheels at the proper times, each of the ratchets or notched rims (with which said pawl-fingers engage) having an opening for the purpose of letting the point of the corresponding pawl-finger drop through, and enabling the next shorter finger to engage with the ratchet of the next wheel of the series at each tenth movement of the Wheel in question.

So far, this tally box is of substantially a well known form, and operates in a wellknown manner. T should perhaps here remark that the several wheels are held from receding from each position to which they are advanced by the movements of the pawl by means of separate springs or spring lingers 51. These springs are suitably secured to within the casing il at a proper point by any appropriate means, such as screws 52, which are shown as holding the spring` structure to a block A friction spring 54 may be used for the purpose of I holding the pawl-carrying yoke i7 to its rearward position until it is started forward by a positive pull on the link 33. Tn carrying out my invention T have added to this structure a wheel 6l by means of which fractions may be indicated; or, rather, by means of which a number of movements equal to the number of parts or fractions of a unit of measure which it requires to make such unit will be had before the unit wheel will be operated.

T have illustrated in the drawings the ordinary weigher bucket of a grain elevator and weigher for threshing machines, which ordinarily contains half a bushel; and, consequently as the unit which it is desired to register or tally is a bushel, T have made my fraction wheel to operate at each second movement. This, of course, obtains the result sought. Tt also has a further advantage. By putting a mark indicating one-half on each of its ve principal surfaces, T am enabled to show by this tally the exact amount of grain which has passed through the machine, including the last half bushel; whereas ordinary tallies indicate whole bushels only, so that at the close of a period of threshing` it is impossible to ascertain from the tally or register-device Whether or not the machine has stopped on even bushels, or at the half-bushel fraction. This additional wheel (il has an approximately circular ratchet (similar to those on the regular tally wheels) with which the pawl engages; but said circular ratchet, instead of being continuous save atl a single point, is cut at five places, so that the point of the pawl finger will drop through at each second motion of the mechanism. This is illustrated in Figs. et and 5, the pawl finger being in one of the openings in the position shown in F 5, while it is resting on the ratchet or notched rim, in one of the notches, when in the position shown in Fig. 4t. This tally is operated (as before stated) by a link 33 running from the crank arm on the trip shaft 32 to the arm 33 on the yoke 47. Said link is slotted where it engages with the wrist of said crank, to compensate for the fact that the throw of the crank is greater than is required to operate the tally. The at-rest position is shown in Fig. l. When the mechanism is started the first effect upon the tally box will be to draw the yoke 4:7 from the position shown in Fig. 4- to that shown in Fig. 5. Tt there remains at rest until the trip shaft has traveled far enough so that the wrist on its crank contacts with the opposite end of the slot in link 33; whereupon it pushes the yoke 47 (through said link 33) back to the position shown in the drawings. The trip shaft and crank continue on their way until they reach the position shown in Fig. l, where the movement is arrested by the operation of the tripping and clutching mechanism (not herein shown and described) where the parts remain until the next operation of the machine. The link 33 is also curved somewhat, as shown (at 33) and is formed of spring metal. lt is, therefore, somewhat yielding in its character, and may be so constructed and arranged as to throw the tally to the extreme limits of its movement and hold it there under spring force until the next movement takes place. This improves the operation in the matters of accuracy and certainty.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what T claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination, in a tallying apparatus, of a casing, a shaft mounted therein, tally wheels mounted on said shaft and provided with ratchet rims, an auxiliary wheel having a ratchet rim also mounted on said shaft, a pawl having a number of fingers equal to the total number of said wheels for operating the same, means for operating said pawl, means for holding the individual wheels to operated position, the ratchet rim of said auxiliary wheels being sub-divided and fractional movement of the tallying mechanism thus provided for, a driving crank and a curved spring arm connect-ing the pawlcarrying .member with the driving crank shaft to yieldingly urge the pawl-carrying member in one direction.

In witness whereof, T have hereunto set my hand and seal at Indianapolis, Tndiana, this twenty-third day of November, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and seven.

CHESTER BRADFORD. [ns] )Witnesses FRANK A. FAHLE, THOMAS W. MGMEANS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C." 

